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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: safe · pass · court · wax · ball · bear · mine · shower

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. shower — rain
  6. pass — a permit
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mine — for digging
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — to wash
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — of law
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. ball — a dance
  24. court — for sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com